I thought it was about time I blogged a finished garment. This is my Vogue V9253 (i.e. that Vogue dress with the really low neckline which everyone raises). I made this to wear to the Sewing Weekender, and to Phil’s sister’s wedding, which was two weeks later.
It’s no wonder this pattern has been so popular; as everyone has told you, it’s a quick and easy sew, it has a flattering fit since the bodice is fitted but it’s loose from the waist down, and it would work in a wide range of fabrics. I think it would make a great winter party dress in a heavier weight fabric like a crepe or velvet, however, I already have a Trend Patterns 70s Dress cut out, which I was planning to wear to last year’s Christmas party, and am hoping to actually sew in time for this year’s.
I love the look of this fabric, but it is a lesson in buying good quality fabric. This is a polyester which cost £2 per metre from Birmingham Rag Market. I love the print, but the fabric feels cheap – it’s sweaty in hot weather, it’s already started to pill (after approximately four wears) and snags easily. Since this was my first time making the pattern it’s not a huge loss, since it basically acted as a wearable toile, but how much better to have made it in a fabric which would last for years. I would say lesson learned, but the Rag Market is so tempting, and SewBrum will be here in a month’s time, so no promises!
I made some exceedingly rookie errors, which may have been due to me trying to sew quickly to finish this before the Sewing Weekender, or may just have been due to me being generally a little absent-minded. I sewed, and overlocked, all the way up the skirt back seam, meaning that I needed to unpick my stitches to insert the zip. I then repeated the same mistake on the bodice, and because the bodice is fitted there then wasn’t enough seam allowance left to insert the zip and for the bodice to fit. I didn’t have enough fabric or patience to re-cut the bodice, so I cut some narrow strips and attached these to either side of the bodice back seam – voila a bodice which fits. I also completely forgot that the dress was supposed to have waist ties until I found them hanging over the back of a chair while packing to leave for the Weekender. I wore the dress without waist ties at the Weekender and added them before I wore it to Lucy and Jack’s wedding; I think the dress works fine with or without ties.
I had an early start yesterday, catching a train to Leeds for Sew Up North. Today I’ve done the opposite, and spent the morning on the sofa, blogging and watching The Fashion Fund on Netflix (recommended, it’s like Project Runway, but documentary as opposed to reality show). I thoroughly enjoyed chatting to everyone at Sew Up North, and am really inspired to sew as a result of seeing what everyone was wearing and my fabric purchases. Today’s task is to make some progress on my Refashioners Project – I’m determined to finish in time to participate in the challenge, and am not letting myself work on any other sewing projects until it is complete, as added motivation.
